One in three kids driven – many due to dangerous school road
Dangerous school road is one of the main reasons why children are driven to school, after parents going in the same direction. “Given the choice between sending the children to school with their hearts in their stomach and driving them, it is obvious that many choose to drive,” Communications Manager of NAF, Camilla Ryste, states.
The survey is conducted by InFact among parents with school-age children on behalf of NAF. The survey further reveals that it is not unproblematic that so many choose to drive their children to school. A total of 47 per cent responds that they have experienced dangerous situations caused by parents who drive children to school.
Parents are aware that driving their kids to school can cause dangerous situations, but many opt for it anyway, either because it is the easiest solution or the school road itself is dangerous. We believe that safe school roads should be a priority – so that children can bike or walk in most cases.
The Norwegian Parliament has set as a goal that 80 per cent of school children should either bike or walk to school.
“Both the design of the school road and traffic training is important to achieve this goal,” Ryste emphasizes.
“When one in four is driven because of a dangerous school road, it shows that we have a way to go. Both the road design and traffic training are important for the kids to arrive safely,” she concludes.
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Participant record for bike training
More than 40,000 children have received bike training this year through the scheme ‘Safe on Bicycle’ (Sikker på Sykkel). The scheme is implemented by schools across Norway, supported by the Norwegian Car-owners Association (NAF).
“Learning to ride a bike safely in traffic is a big step for kids. It’s great to see that so many schools participating in the scheme. We have had steady growth in participants in recent years,” Ryste informs.
The children learn both practical and theoretical skills. They get to traverse a trail with exercises where their mastering of a bike is tested. NAF also arranges district finals for each region. The national finals are held at Dal in Telemark in June.
Results from the School Road survey
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Is your child normally driven to school? |
32.6% |
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Why is your child driven to school? |
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Dangerous road |
26.4% |
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Long distance, no school bus |
12.8% |
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Heading in the same direction |
32.0% |
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Lack of time |
10.4% |
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Not stated |
18.4% |
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Situations experienced by you or the child |
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A dangerous situation caused by parents driving kids to school |
47.1% |
© NAF / #Norway Today
